...is under way for me starting yesterday. It is basically the same one I went on while in Tucson 2 years ago and that one had me drop about 25 pounds. The diet was, in essence, one that had me cut back greatly on carbs. Nope, not even close to the Atkins diet but I shed pound anyway by cutting out almost all junk food (meaning processed snacks) and by limiting my bread intake to no more than 3 slices per day, less than that in the beginning, I think I kept it at one slice. I still ate things like potatoes (frequently) and corn and lots of fruit and the pounds came off. I guess cutting out all the pretzels, beer, cookies, candies, cakes, ice cream and soda had a lot to do with the pounds being shed.

Of course, that diet was augmented by a hike or two per week for a couple of months, and those hikes were anywhere from 4 to 10 miles long, all with a 20 to 30 pound pack on my back. I do not have the luxury of mountains anywhere near my home, not even in my state, when it comes to mountains with inclines or elevations like those in ad around Tucson. I would have to drive about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half to get to some really nice hiking terrain in NY, so that is pretty much out. I think that tonight, I am going to join a local gym and will use the treadmills. I will set em on a good incline, put the same pack on my back, and have at it. It is nowhere nearly the same as actually hiking up and down trails but will have to do for now. If I am lucky, I will get in at least two workouts a week, maybe 3. They have a pool, so after I have regained some strength and endurance from the treadmills, I will hit the pool too. I am so disgusted with myself and how flabby I have gotten as to quite possibly be determined enough to get it done right this time, even while being at home. I added that 'even while being at home thing' because loosing weight for me is much harder to do while I am in my regular places subject to my regular stresses and habits. Getting away always makes it easier for me to accomplish overcoming bad habits, I went away for over a week to quit smoking. it worked and I have not had a puff in over 21 years. Dieting is a bit more difficult since we do not have to smoke but we do have to eat. I think though that I have the motivation, I just look in the mirror at the wattles of flesh under my chin and on my neck and I want to get it done.

Luckily, for me, I stopped drinking beer about a month ago. Just cut back on drinking and stuck with whiskey and wine instead of beer. I figure that will be a big help as a cold one can lead to one or two more on a weekend and that can lead to another pound all too easily.

Well, if this diet works, the bigger trick will be making sure I keep off the pounds. That may actually be easier done while dieting at home than when away. I can can start and stick to the diet while at home, and take off a good number of pounds, I figure I will be more likely to keep them off because there will be less of a change in my situation than if I was away. Yes, being away makes it easier to start my diet and to lose pounds, but then come home and when all the old habits, stresses and everything hit me, well I cave in. Dieting at home may be harder to start and maintain at first because I am surrounded by those things but if I get it started here, then stick to it for awhile, there will be no sudden change of immersing back into those stresses, as when i returned home from Tucson, because I have been surrounded by them all along and was dieting all along. I hope that makes sense, hell I hope I stick to it this time. I think I will and I intend to do so. Damn the pretzels, chips and the beer, hello lower carbs and lower weight. I have to tell ya, I like eating junk so much that just thinking and writing about it has been stressful Oh well, time to exchange one addiction with another, a more healthy alternative.

I am pretty sure most of you do not want to be bored by my attempt at dieting this time around, so I will keep any progress reports to a minimum. If I am successful though, you can anticipate before and after pics sometime in the next few to several months.

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